Turkey, France to turn new page after tense period in ties

Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with French President Francois Hollande in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday where the two leaders underlined the necessity of opening a new page in bilateral relations following a difficult period in the relationship. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the United Nations Rio 20 summit. During the meeting, Erdogan and Hollande agreed to open a new page in their bilateral relations, particularly economic relations, and contribute to Turkey's European Union membership bid. Erdogan drew attention to the fact that the last time a French president made an official state visit to Turkey was 20 years ago and invited Hollande to visit the country. The president reacted positively to the invitation. Erdogan and Hollande also exchanged views on regional and international topics. They highlighted the importance of respecting the Syrian people's will while ensuring a democratic transformation in Syria as soon as possible. During the term of former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Turkish-French relations stagnated because of the issues of the Armenian "genocide" denial bill and Turkey's EU negotiations.